Connecter



CONNECTER Filed May l7. 1

F i i 5 5 M" i 3 w M I 27 "W "In X'VZITJFSSES: y ggggg Y I 1/ r v ATTORNEY tained in efiective engagement and' cannot Patented May 3 1, 1927.

HARRY 2B,. MEYERQ F: wI 'KII sBuRG; PENNSYLVANIA, issrenon To wn'srmeirousa ELECTRIC &' MANUFACTURINGI coMrANY, A1 oon-rona'riou- OF PENNSYLVANIA; i

} CONNECTER. I

Application filed May '17, 1-920. ;Seria1' No; 381 841.

invention relates to -connecters and particularly to connectersuof the type used in connecting electr'icEcu'rfeht conductors which carry control, lighting, heating and motor currents between cars of a train.

One object of myjinvention is to provide asimple and e'ilicient' connecter'wh-ich may be quickly and securely'joinedgand retained inv operative connection during. the periods of'service.

Another object is to provide a. connecter having. the characteristics above. defined wherein the conductor terminals (are. mainbe shaken loose by vibrations incident to a the service in which:v they are employed};

'Heretofore,'it f has been the practice to retain the plug or jumper within the receptacle of the vc'onnecterby .m'eans of: a recess-and-pin connection between the plug and receptacle cover which isgusually hinged to the eirteri-or of the receptacle. A certain amount of lost motion between the and'recess, incident to @this form of latch constructiompermits relative longitua .dinal movement of the plugand receptacle which results in the gradual loosening of the plug-and ai -consequent loose and imperfect contact with the terminals. .=Another objiectiomtothis form of eonnection is that the terminals are liable to become detached, as the resu'lt of a sud'denijerlrof theoable connected to theplug. orfan accidental dis placement of the cover; Toobviat'e these objectionable features, I have provided ,a plug and receptacle with a, bayonet c'onnection which ismoved into operative locked ,position first by a relative longitudinal movement of the plug and receptacle and. then by a relative rotary movement of the.

plug and receptacle, whereby the parrtsaare locked against relativelongitudinal displacement.

to be aligneclwith a recess in thecover g when the plug, and receptacle are in intercover is not objectionable -.be cause the bayo-l net joint or. connection securely holds the; plug and receptacle in operative relationi; All strains imposed upon thelcablei tending a N are. assembled within the casing. The; plug is provided; with a pin adapted the casingiby' meansof; a fiber dowel pin .13;

A certain degree of 4 to separatethe plugiand receptacle are opposed by thebayonet joint, and. the longi:

tudinal strains, therefore hav'e no effectf tending to disengage the connection between the cover and the plug. v Should; the cover he accidentally raised; out of engagement 7 with the pinon'the plug5the connection is; held intact by the bayonet joint.

the connection between the cover" andi the plug-is to preventflsuc-h rotary movementof would disengage thebayonet connection; I

The above mentioned. objects', as well' as others which will herein-after appeamare attained by means ofapparatus embodying the features herein; described and illustrated I accompanying and forming a parthe-reof, wherein I in the drawings lt'will .beseen, therefore, thatvthe sole function of I the plug with respect. to the receptacle as i 17 5, Fig. 2 sa longitudinal 'section ofthe -re i rig. 313 a transverseIsectioriof the ecep- 111 11 11 of .ri'gqsz.

.tacle shown in ,Fig. .1, "taken alongthe line Referring to the 1 drawings, the ctninfe'cte'r ncludes a terminal connecter' 5 andja l'terr .mina-l 6 adapted to c'o-operate in forming an electrical connection between the conductors carried by the cars of a .train. v The f receptacle 5 includesla metalfcyl'indrical' casing. 7. provided Iwithf' external wattaching flangeeeand 9 adapted to. be fitted to the .e-ndlof a carjin an accessible location. The interior of the receptacleis provided with a pairofcylnidrical insulating sleeves l0 and 11; the innermostsleeve 11 being. providech. at its outeriedge, with: a slot 12 of L-shape, which is preferably-formed before the sleeves Th sleeves are retained in fixed position within which'extends-through the casing and sl'ejeves 'and projects into .an-insulated terminalsupport, orbase 14. provided] in the ':innermost A" connecter terminal 15 projects from the.- gforwardendofxthe base 14 and is retained therein bya metal nut '16,, screwed upon'jthe threaded end-.of the terminal. The conductor, *not shown is; attachedto a clip 17,"- :whichyiu; turn, is attached to the nut 16' by;

means of a stud 118; The rearend of the casing 7 is closed bymeans of a detachable cap 19 to \vhich the usual conduit is'attached and the conductor leadsinto the receptacle v clockwise direction'iuntilothe pin 23 engages V The terminal l'is of fronritlie conduit through the opening 20 provided'in the cap 19.

and the conductor, not shown, may beat- .tached to the ferrule in any preferred manner and lead out of the free end of the plug.

I The cylindrical contact plug 22 is so formed that it snugly-fits into the sleeve 11 and is provided with a locking pin 23 adapted to enter the slot 12. The plug'22'is inserted in the sleeve first by a" longitudinal movement thereof, the pin at thistime passing through the'longitudinally extending portionof .the ,slot;12. [1 After'the pin has'engaged the inner end of the slot,,the plug is rotated about its axis, the, pin,-at this time, traversing the ftr'ansv'ersely' extending portionof the slot 12 of L-shape. will be seen that longitudinal displacement, of the'plu'g with respect tothe receptacle is prevented by thebayonet connection formed by (the slot 12 of L-shape and the pin23. Thefpluq may be disengaged v thereof. 1 i

by a reverse movement :Eormv oif-connecter provides a o1nt Thi ' n "which is tight and' secure' and the plug cannot be vibrated loose or be separated from the receptacle unless it is first rotateda distance sufficient to clear the transverse leg of :the' slot; 12. During service, it is desirable to i prevent: the rotary. movement of theplug and this is accomplished by providing the Tplugorjumper 6 with/a pin 24 adapted to project into alongitudinally extending slot 25 provided in the lower j 'the receptacle cover 26. f V

" The-cover 26. is hinged to thenreceptacle 'A'spring 29 is'mounted upon the shaft'27 he- 'tweenthe webs 28 "and. the forwardly and v .rearwardly extending'ends thereof respeo-i ll'ively engage the receptacle casing? a'nd'thc "the cover, tending'tof hold it in closed posi-:

casing 7' and rotates about ashaf-t 27 mounted 'inwebs 28fcast integral with the casing.

outer side of the cover .-26. "-Tlie springisso coiled that tension is constantly applied to tion. The spring 29, therefore, serves to rering :joining the plugand receptacle, the cover26 is first so raised substantially toa horizontal position as to'cl'ear the plug. The "plug is the well-known split; type, and is adapted to snugly engage the terminal ferrule 21 provided'in the cylindrii cal contact plug 22 of the plug or jumper preventing rotary movement of the plug Q additions and omissions maybe made; in the tary movement of the members about their orfinner side of p us I then inserted into the receptacle by"a'longi-" tudinal movementuntil the pin 23fengages tl'ierear wall of the transverse section ofthe slot. The plug is then-rotatedinfalcountenthe inner end of the transverse leg of the slot 12. This movementlocks the base and receptacle against relative longitudinal displacement, and;5at the same time, moves the 7 pin 24 so that -itregisters with the slot 25 in the cover.- The cover isthen lowered into 7 contact with the plug, thus"bringing the pin 24 and slot '25 into. operative relation; and.

with respect' to the receptacle. a0

WhiIeI have describedand; near-as but. c

one embodinient'iof my invention, it'will be apparent ,to those skilled in. the art that vario'us changes, modifica'tions," substitutions,

apparatus illustrated without de'parting from the spirit and scope of the invention,'.

as set'forth by the appen'ded'cla imsp :7

ioI olaim'asmy invention: I 1. A'connecter, comprising a pair of ter-. minal members movable axially into conductive' engagement. and provided with interlocking means'adapted to be moved into operativeattaching engagement by relative roaxes and to prevent separationflof the mem bers, and means-hinged to one-of thezme'm 'bers and adapted-to operatively engage the l I 7 other member' toprevent relative rotary movement of the members f i' 1 v 2. The combinationwith' a" receptaclefa l plug and, a closure forthe receptacle adapted to be helduin'open position bythe i and to prevent rotary mo vementi'of the plug. iwith respect to the receptacle,offan inter-,

locking means'carriedby'the plug and receptacle-and adapted toprevent relativelloni j gitudinal displacement of the plug and receptacle and to be dis engaged,byrelative rotaryimovement" of; the plugiand recep tacle. V H 3. A connecter comprismg -..a' terminal plug, a terminalreceptacle adapted to reyc eive the plug, a cover lforthe receptacle adapted to beheld in cl-osed'position-when' 1 the plug is removed from the receptacle and to be held in engagement with the plug when thepluglis inoperative position in the receptacle, mterlocking means on'the plug and receptacle'ffor preventing relative lon' lzo gitudinal displacement of theplu'g' and re- 7 ceptacle, andjinterlocking means on theplug and thesaid coveradapted to be moved into operative alignment when thelplug and recepta'cle are moved to operative interlocks ing positions; e y g '4. A connector, compr1s1nga terminal;

plug, a terminal receptacle adapted to .re-

ceivethe' plug,- a coverihinged tofthe recep-, V 'taclef havlng 'a latch recess therein and .it registers with the said recess in the coverwhen the plug is 1n operatlve connection adapted to engage the plug when the plug is in operative p-o'sition'in the receptacle, a bayonet connection between the plug .and connecter adapted to prevent relative longitudinal displacement of the plug and receptacle, and a pin on the plug so located that with thereceptacle for preventing unlatching, movement of the said bayonet connection. i

5. A connecter comprising a receptacle casing, open at opposite ends, a pair of tubular insulating members disposed in tele-- scoped 1 relation within the casing', an in- 1'5' sulatiin'g base within the innermost tubular memberfor closing communication between the open endsof the receptacle, a conductor terminal extending through the'pbase and having at one end a contact member and at the otherenol a terminal member and a pin extending through the casing,the tubular members and into the base for holding them i in assembled relation. I In testimony. whereof, I"'haVe hereunto Y HARRY R; 'MEYERJ subscribed my name this 13th day of May, 

